Job Discussion Forums

[ellamarie]

I know this has been asked a thousand times before but I can't seem to find the specific information I am looking for. I may be interested in teaching in Europe a few years from now, probably in the Czech Republic but I am also interested in other countries. I am of Scots-Irish descent and I have fairly recent ancestors from Prussia(which I think is now part of Poland), Germany, and the Netherlands. So, how do I start the process of obtaining an EU passport? I assume I can't just pull out a 100-year-old photo and hope authorities can see the resemblance. I also have no intention of renouncing my American citizenship-I assume dual citizenship is involved. Can anyone please help me with some information or point me in the right direction?

[dreamingofitaly]

Why don't you ask the people who actually give out the passports? Perhaps a consulate could help as that's their job. It is quite a process - my partner's Australian and got his EU passport last year (dad born in England). Getting all the paperwork together did take some time.

[Bebsi]

The Irish government is about to introduce a new scheme, called Global Irish Territoriality Scheme (GITS).

As many people in the US claim Irish ancestry, and many others around the world do as well, such as in places like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa, the Dublin government has realised there is excessive work and expense involved in either processing individual applications, or rejecting them as the case may be, so they've decided to grant an Irish passport to all of the following:

-everyone with an 'O', a 'Mc', a 'Mac' or a 'Fitz' in the their family names over the last five generations;

-everyone who can show an Irish-born relative in the last five generations;

-anyone who has watched "The Quiet Man", "Boystown", "Darby O'Gill" or any Barry Fitzgerald movie at least forty times and can show evidence such as video store rental slips;

-all EFL teachers wanting to work in Europe and get EU passports, but only providing they can speak English at a minimum of beginner level:

-anyone else who wants one, as long as they can pay the as-yet-to-be-announced fees, which are expected to give the Irish economy an even further boost.

[txtraveler]

Well, as others have said, each country is different so your best bet would be to contact the relevant consulates or embassies of countries where you think you may be eligible to apply for citizenship. Be advised though, you usually have to have a parent or grandparent with that citizenship and that neither Germany nor the Netherlands allow dual citizenship for adults.

[Shalana]

This website may be of some help http://www.euimmigration.org/eu_passport.html

[daily chai]

[dagi]

"neither Germany nor the Netherlands allow dual citizenship for adults."

That is not true. In certain case the Netherlands and Germany do allow dual citizenship. It often depends on agreements with other countries, a factor is often marriage or having parents with different nationalities.
I know a few people who have dual nationalities like German-Swiss or German-American or Dutch-German.

Back to OP. To get a EU nationality you will have to either have parents with a EU nationality (at the time of your birth) or simply have to be a resident in a country for several years, do all the integration and language learning and then apply for citizenship.
Some Irish, Prussian or whatever ancestor won't get you citizenship. Full stop.

[micki]

Actually you'll find that many countries allowed you to go back to grandparents to gain citizenship- most of my Canadian friends have done it that way.
Micki
p.s. love Bebsi's post when I worked in a summer school last year the Americans had Irish passports- never been there in their lives and knew bugger all about the country, but claimed Irish ancestry and viola, an EU passport was theirs!

[Caledonian Craig]

[spiral78]

Not so bad as the poster a few months ago asking for information on how to marry a European girl to get the passport.

[stillnosheep]

Looks like the rats are lining up to jump ship